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BREDON WITH BREDON’S NORTON
BREDON’S HARDWICK - KINSHAM - WESTMANCOTE
The Parish Magazine
May 2018
60p
TWO CHARACTERFUL
FARMHOUSES IN KINSHAM
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Services for May 2018
Sunday 6th May - Sixth Sunday of Easter 8am Holy Communion, Bredon's Norton (RT)
10am Parish Eucharist, St Giles (RT) (Chapel Lane, Kinsham)
Sunday 13th May - Seventh Sunday of Easter 8am Holy Communion, St. Giles (MB)
10am ☺ Village Worship, St Giles (MB)
6pm Evensong, Bredon's Norton (RT)
(Cheltenham Road, Kinsham)
Sunday 20th May - Pentecost 8am Holy Communion, Bredon's Norton (MB)
10am Parish Eucharist, St Giles (MB) (Lower Lane, Kinsham)
Sunday 27th May - Trinity Sunday
8am Holy Communion, St. Giles (RH)
10am Parish Eucharist, St Giles (RH)
6pm Evensong, Bredon's Norton (LMT) (Watery Lane, Kinsham)
Sunday 3rd June - First Sunday after Trinity
8am Holy Communion, Bredon's Norton (RT)
10am Parish Eucharist, St Giles (MB) (Chapel Lane, Westmancote)
MB = Matthew Baynes RT = Rick Tett RH = Ron Hesketh
LMT = Local Ministry Team
Every Wednesday there is a 10am Holy Communion service at St. Giles. This
service is preceded by fifteen minutes of informal prayer for the sick.
Morning Prayer is said at 8am on Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. Giles.
At 8.30am on the first Friday of each month The Barnabas Group meet at St
Giles to pray for Christians who are persecuted for their faith.
☺Village Worship is usually on the second Sunday of the month, but there are
times when for various reasons they are changed. These services are occasions
when the whole church community is together for worship.
For Bredon Parish and Community information visit www.bredonvillage.com
(The street names in brackets will be prayed for on Sunday and in the week)
Thursday 10th May - Ascension Day 7.30pm Deanery Eucharist
at St. Nicholas Peopleton, WR10 2EE
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CLERGY LEAD ARTICLE
From Elmley Rectory: GLIMPSES OF GOD Having been inducted as Rector on Sunday 4th March I found that my first semi-official duty was to attend the Monday Club the following afternoon. In the village hall at Elmley Castle we were treated to a slideshow, featuring Alan Watkins’ superb photos of the Lake District. These whetted my appetite, because I knew that after Easter I was going to have a few days holiday at one of my favourite haunts, in Great Langdale just west of Ambleside. I always enjoy going to the Lake District, and wish I could do so more often. Twenty-three years ago I actually went to live and work in the city of Carlisle, and I hoped I would have opportunities for walking on the hills. In practice that did not really happen. I had two jobs – Team Vicar in a parish and Chaplain in a hospital – with the sentences to run concurrently, so I was pretty busy most of the time. In the event I lived in Carlisle for nearly three years and I think I went out walking in the hills on about five days during that time. Undeniably there is something unique about the Lake District. Maybe the clue is in the name: the lakes themselves add something that other mountainous regions lack. The magic lies in the contrast between the lakes and the fells – between the calm of the water and the rugged outcrops of rock visible above. There is also the fact that the Lakeland hills are not massively high when compared with great ranges such as the Alps or the Himalayas. Of course they are steep and potentially dangerous, and they demand respect. But they are on a human sort of scale – almost a domestic scale. Having said that, they are challenging to walk on. In the Alps or Pyrenees you might be moving uphill (or downhill) for hours at a stretch, which at least allows you to establish some kind of rhythm. In the Lake District the gradient is constantly chopping and changing, which can make progress particularly tiring. The obvious beauty of the landscape has drawn writers, artists and romantics, the most famous of whom include Wordsworth and Ruskin, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome. And countless other people have fallen in love with this relatively small corner of England. Maybe that is another clue. The Lake District hints at great mountains and adventures, but at the same time it feels terribly English. A place to step aside from the mundane plod of everyday life and to see evidence of the raw forces of nature. A place where one might catch glimpses of God, if only it stops raining and the clouds lift for long enough.
David Lewis
The Rector, Canon Matthew Baynes can be contacted
at any time on: 01684 772237
or email: [email protected].
Parish Office: Tuesday mornings 9.00am to 12noon. 01684 772237
Friday mornings (Beckford Village Hall ) 9am to 12 noon. 01386 881349
or [email protected] Amanda Bath
Baptism: Tobias James Priest 14th April 2018 St Giles
Funerals:
David Turner 4th April 2018 St Giles
John Hall 27th April 2018 St Giles
Matthew Baynes
Secretary Rector
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Catch Project in Mzamomhle, East London, South Africa
I am delighted to report that over Maundy Thursday and Good Friday some £417.85 was raised to support the Catch Project in
Mzamomhle, East London, South Africa. This was a combination of £45 raised at the Maundy Thursday Passover meal in Bredon and £372.85 raised at the Good Friday Service on the top of Bredon Hill. The latter was pretty astonishing considering the appalling weather conditions that marked this years Good Friday Pilgrimage, and is thanks to the generosity of those who made it to the top of the Hill. Funding for Catch is especially important at the moment as a number of major supporters have withdrawn support and moved on to other things. For those of you not aware of Catch’s vital work, below is a description of their vision.
“ - Caring, Affirming & Training for Change -
CATCH Projects gives its efforts to the township of Mzamomhle, the main township in Gonubie and one of the largest townships in East London, South Africa. We are daily dedicated to caring for the children that are brought up in poverty through educational and recreational clubs, affirming women's rights, through HIV/AIDS support and empowerment forums, and training the leaders of those in the township to seek dreams beyond what they see daily in the heart of the township.
Our dream is to eliminate poverty by re-establishing hope, enabling power, and creating a desire for a better world in the hearts of women and children. “ I have visited the Mzamomhle myself and can testify to the incredible commitment of Sue Davies (pictured above) who has given her heart and soul to this project over many years.
Matthew Baynes
THANK YOU from Canon Susan Renshaw
My thanks to all those from around Bredon Hill who sang in the choir for our Good Friday service. Everyone I have spoken
to said that they thought it was the best the choir had ever
sung and was extremely moving. A very special thank you to Charles for enabling us to reach such a high standard.
Marcelin and his three teenager daughters lost everything when hurricane
Matthew hit Haiti last month. They have endured unimaginable natural
disasters and each one has made them poorer and more vulnerable. They are
not just survivors. They are fighters, but they won’t survive the next storm
without your help. When the Christian Aid envelope comes through your
letterbox this month, please give generously to help people like Marcelin
and his daughters weather the next disaster and have a fighting chance to
build a better life.
Mary Daniels
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+ Book for 2018 : HEAVEN? Where did you get that idea? by Bill Medley
“Old Rover has gone to Doggie heaven”, Thus grieving children are helped to cope with the loss of their beloved pet. So the concept of heaven still has its uses, but not just with the young. This device may get deployed at a late friend's funeral, “ Smiling down from heaven” or “They are in a better place now”. All this without really knowing its origin. One-time religious sceptic and professional comedian now writer, Bill Medley asks, 'WHERE DOES THIS IDEA OF HEAVEN COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE? And is it really a universally held belief? Surprisingly, looking further afield shows that eastern religion offers nothing like a heaven, and Muhammed who came some 600 years after the Bible was written, makes many reference to Jesus, but teaches a very different concept of heaven. And Jesus it was that first introduced what we know as heaven. HE IS ITS FOUNDER AND OWNER.
“Only one on offer. So the only way heaven is real is if Jesus is real. If Jesus is who he claimed to be and he really rose from the dead and returned to heaven as he promised, then he is the Lord, and heaven is real.
When one of Jesus’ disciples asked him the way to get to this heaven, Jesus replied, “‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ But why would he say that he is the only way? No one gets to heaven except by Jesus? Why not some other way? When we check with the owner the reason becomes clear. In fact, ...no one else is even offering a way. Jesus said he is the only way because he is the only one who has taken away that record of our lawbreaking at the cross. Jesus is the only one who could do it because it took no less than the sinless God, the eternal Son himself, who had never broken the law. You can't do time in jail for someone else if you are already serving your own sentence.”
ISBN 9781860249136 Copy right © 2014 Bill Medley to be displayed in the book of the month stand in St Giles Bredon during May '18.
Book introduced by Derek Cain
Quote ...Unquote from Gloria Cain
Jesus said... Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am.
Jesus. In John's gospel 14:1-3
SYLVIA HARRINGTON’S RECIPE FOR MAY
Swede Leek and Potato Gratin Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil 15grms butter 350 grms leeks thinly sliced 1 clove garlic crushed 500grms King Edward potatoes peeled & cut into matchsticks 1 medium swede peeled & cut into matchsticks 6-8 fresh bay leaves torn in half 150mls whipping cream 150 mls semi skimmed milk Preheat oven to 190 c gas 5
Melt oil and butter in a frying pan & add leeks & garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Combine leek mixture, potatoes & swede in a buttered dish & season, layering in the bay leaves as you go. Mix milk & cream together and pour over the vegetables. Bake for 1hour until the vegetables are tender and the top is golden. Cover with foil if the gratin browns too much. Serve with salad or steamed broccoli.
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OtB SUMMER CAMP.
Children aged about 5-11 are welcome to join the camp for three days of Bible story fun and games, on Monday -Wednesday 23rd -25th July in and around the Church Rooms. It is a most enjoyable start to the summer holidays, £5 per child, bring your own packed lunch, 9 till 3 pm. Application forms have already been sent from school, but I have plenty more on request. And we are always on the look-out for older helpers, especially if they can be available for the three days. More info? Viv Ebbage 773549
Drop In Café Thursday May 10th, 10.30 am to 12.00
Bredon Village Hall
The Café will be open again on May 10th offering you our special blend of coffee, cake, conversation and conviviality and we would love to see you there.
We continue to be a collection point for Tewkesbury Foodbank and items can be dropped off between 10.30 and 12.00 even if you can't stay for a coffee - but we hope you will!
If you need a lift to the Café just give us a call.
Annie 772664 Wendy 772733
The Mustard Seed Café opens Fri 18 May, 5.00 until 6.30pm GIVE IT A TRY!
BREDON VILLAGE MARKET
In the Village Hall on Saturday 12th May from 1030 till noon, you will find an amazing
variety of stall holders selling an amazing
variety of items, and once you have made
your selections, enjoy an amazing refreshing cuppa in the
pop-up café.
Mary Daniels
has sold a huge number of
plants over the
years in her little plant pots, and would be
VERY grateful if you could encourage her gardening skills by bringing along any 3-4
inch plastic pots to aid her resources. You
may like to be on the sales side of the
market? For £3, you can have your own table.
Do let me know your requirements.
Tewkesbury Choral Society
SATURDAY 12th MAY 2018 at 7.30pm in Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Choral Society with Chameleon Arts Orchestra directed by John Holloway
Felix Mendelssohn – Hear My Prayer and Hymn of Praise
Tickets £15 from Society members, Tewkesbury Abbey Shop 01684 856148
Online at Ticketsource.co.uk/t-c-s or on the door. Accompanied schoolchildren free
Viv Ebbage 773549
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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT... Our May passion is PENNY POWELL’S; she is a retired teacher, her last post being at Bredon Hancock’s First School. She is married to Roger who wrote our February passion about Jazz; readers may well imagine that their home is a noisy one! She writes...
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SINGING… My earliest memory is from 1959, Mum singing to me as a tot, cradled in her arms, in the front seat of Dad's Standard Big 9 – no seatbelts then, just lullabies to keep you safe. Mum trained as an opera singer at the Guildhall and as a child, I used to feel embarrassed in church at how loud she was; now I'm completely in awe of opera singers.
My older sister, Jacquetta, would declare that she loves singing but “CAN'T SING”. However, in her own enthusiastic way, sitting in the back of our car, she taught me the whole of her Girl Guide repertoire. She's also turned out four musically accomplished children. In the 1960s, with no radio, CDs, Ipods or phones, you made your own in-car entertainment, in between bouts of car-sickness. When I was eight, my awesome Welsh headmaster burst into our music class, pointed at me and bellowed, “that child has an ear for music!” I wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing at the time but it encouraged me, and so I commandeered our souvenir Spanish guitar in my bedroom and taught myself to play chords from a book. Unlike the recorder, you can sing whilst you play the guitar so I sang 60s hits. At 15, we sang Streets of London with guitars in class assembly to raise awareness of homelessness. My 'gang' then was musical; I hope today's youngsters have that experience. As a teacher in Kent, and the only female singer in the Vinters' Boys School Choir, I sang a duet with the geography teacher where I completely forgot my lines in the fast section of Deadwood Stage. It taught me a lesson: 'practise what you sing!' And as the Iona Community's John Bell taught me, only teach what you know! Singing nursery rhymes to my own children was a wonderful way of keeping continuity down the generations. It's a painless way to learn to read too: hear it, sing it, see it, read it! Not all are PC of course, and it's good to update and add new ones. I often write silly ditties to familiar tunes, even if it makes people groan - having a laugh can be as good for the soul as singing! At Toddlers, I took in the guitar each week whilst the helpers cleared away and the babies burbled Humpty Dumpty with their mums and it made us new parents feel like a family. In North Yorkshire with my little Em and Josh, I sought out the Methodist circuit's Family Fellowship, soon becoming a worship leader for a week's Kings' Club – 180 children drawn from 'down dale'. We raised the rafters each day with songs, games and drama and had a rousing service on the final Sunday when families came. It led to a weekly Christian youth club, where I led the singing, using new songs, both touching and celebratory - a great way for teenagers to feel they belong. After singing together in our home group, a band of us parents with young children began to take services in the Dale, mixing drama with traditional and new music to try to include all generations, from And Can It Be to If I Were a Butterfly – complete with child emerging from a chrysalis costume – a bit like things we do at the Mustard Seed Cafe in Bredon. In the Dales, I often taught songs with movement - it especially galvanised the boys. At the Wensleydale Tournament of Song, we won with Right Said Fred and even with an eyebrow-raising funny song about muckspreading. I adored energising the children to “jollywell sparkle”, to make their Harmonies with the Elgar School of Music
For more information about our group please contact me, Pat, on 01684 773230. For more information about our group please contact me, Pat, on 01684 773230.
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parents proud and reach out to make their audience laugh... or cry. Singing from the heart is one of the most inexpensive yet most precious gifts you can give and our voice is the ultimate free, portable instrument. A great joy was directing the singing in Bredon Hancock's School shows; to feel the power of 150+ fantastic children singing is spine-tinglingly electric. My first Bredon Christmas, we brought a small choir, complete with flags, to St Giles. As they broke into the harmonies of a South African version of Siyahamba, Derek Grainger told me he nearly fell off his organ stool because they were so dynamic. Apparently, we also nearly set the church alight, literally, with the flags flapping perilously close to the Christmas candles. Singing together in church is a joyful way to celebrate the good in life and can really bind us together as a community. After I'd had a spell of illness, Tewkesbury Heart and Soul choir's immense 'a cappella' sound, lifted me up on a tidal wave of harmony. Perhaps harmony heals? Each week, I'd sing a bit more of The Rose, with no tears. Then I began assisting the art therapist at St Richard's Hospice and plucked up courage to bring in the guitar. We sang anything from Groovy Kind of Love to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. When we're ill, special songs can be comforting. With increasing memory problems, my dad delighted in singing at Tewkesbury Day Centre. No longer shy, his natural voice and love of music shone through in a way I'd never heard before. At Heart and Soul, he sang new songs and tenor harmony beside me in the altos - magic moments singing Dylan's Forever Young. At Dad's care home, the music therapists' fun singalongs cheered the spirits of residents and friends - an amazing tonic for well-being and making the days go 'with a swing'. Studies are looking into whether singing boosts the immune system! It certainly can transport people to happier places, and even though day-to-day fluent speech may be difficult for some people with a dementia, they can often sing whole
verses of songs. Stored in a different part of the brain to speech, musical memories - the soundtrack of our lives - can be kept alive by singing. Since 2012, I have absolutely loved leading the singing at Hucclecote and Bishop's Cleeve Singing for the Brain, the Alzheimer's Society singing groups for people living with dementia and their carers. 40+ people gather for cake, camaraderie and singing (no, not caterwauling!). We do seated movement warm-ups, lots of songs, and laugh a lot. I look around at the friends side by side, and see so much loving care. We leave smiling, eagerly
anticipating the next one. I also lead Care to Sing, in Tewkesbury, helped by amazing volunteers. We always end our singing sessions positively with Morecambe and Wise's Bring Me Sunshine... Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love! Meeting Roger, in 2004, I re-discovered Jazz! Learn the tune and once you do, there's freedom to do it your way, from cool Chet Baker to fantastic Fox's Jeanne Marlow - she started singing at 70, so it's never too late. With my lovely singing teacher Lindsay Martin, who leads our friendly Roses choir, I'm learning to sing solo. It's scary, like sky-diving, but it sure makes you feel alive inside, flying on the wings of the melody! Last year, I sang at the Phoenix Festival where rock music from the adjacent stage was so loud it took seven starts before we could hear our own note; hilarious in hindsight and I'm glad to say they loved the song eventually! My last solo was Carole Kings' You've Got a Friend. Singing's been my lifelong friend and can help us both find friends and be friends. Soon perhaps, singing will be rightly recognised as one of school's core subjects, bringing us well-being and happiness, and we'll all learn to value our own voices. Hum in the house, croon round the garden, sing in the shower or choose a choir and it will keep your vocal chords in fine fettle and give your lungs a treat too! Find your voice and sing like nobody can hear you!
Happily making music. Roger on ‘beatbox’ drums, Penny on guitar
‘Care to Sing’ in Tewkesbury holding up a friendship braid
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BREDON PLAYING FIELDS It was lovely to see so many people out using the park last month in the snowy weather. Despite the cold, plenty of children and families were out enjoying themselves. We saw snowmen and sledging as well as tunnels and caves being dug out of the drifts, and of course the obligatory good-humoured snowball fights! Looking forward to the (hopefully!) better spring weather, we are pleased to be able to announce our Playranger dates for this year. These are a combination of full days (10am-4pm) and after school sessions (4pm-6pm). The full days will take place in the May half term (30 th May) and throughout the summer holidays (25th July, 1st, 8th and 15th August). The after-school sessions will run on the 13th, 20th and 27th June and the 4th, 11th and 18th July. The rugby club have recently confirmed that they will be opening on Playranger days so that people can purchase drinks and snacks, so pop the dates in your diary and bring the kids along for some fun activities, all completely free of charge! At the time of writing, our first Playranger session of the year is about to take place, so next month there will be an update on how that’s gone, and hopefully some pictures of the fun. If you would like further information about what Playrangers offer, please visit their website; https://playgloucestershire.org.uk/. As I’m sure some of you know, work to organise ‘Bredon’s Big Day Out’ is well underway. We are currently in the process of signing up stall holders and have a few spots left. Last year we had an eclectic mix of skilled crafts people, local businesses and charities promoting themselves, running fund raising games and selling their wares. Stalls are priced at a very reasonable £12. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A STALL PLEASE CONTACT US ASAP BY EMAILING ANDREA AT:
[email protected] TO RESERVE A SPACE.
We have recently done a prize draw for our Club 200 members and I can confirm that the lucky winners are; B.K. Rogers (£50), Martin Miles (£25), Dr & Mrs Rigby (£10) and Hazel & Phil Sheehan (£10). These draws take place regularly throughout year, so if you would like to be in with a chance of winning next time, we are always looking for new members. Membership is priced at £10 a year and is used to help fund activities and maintenance of the playing fields. For further information, or to join up, please contact Ruth Odell on 01684 772114 or e mail [email protected]. With spring on its way (surely!), we're looking forward to a busy and fun packed few months. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or check out future issues of the Parish magazine for updates. Claire Walder, committee member
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BREDON WI.
May is the month of Tuesdays for us. On Tuesday 8th, the usual Scrabblers
can meet in the Church Rooms at 2 o’clock for the monthly battle, and in the
Village Hall at the same time, a most interesting seminar on how to improve your dress appearance will take place. Learn how to tie the ubiquitous scarves
(bring along your own), and, after a welcome tea break, learn how to make the
most of your wardrobe. Tickets are £10 for an unusual way to spend an afternoon.
Tuesday 15th in the Village Hall is the annual Resolutions meeting, where we decide where to place our votes, followed by a more light-hearted sociable activity. Tuesday 22nd sees Bredon hosting the Group
Spring Meeting, again in the Village Hall, joined by the other five WIs of the
Tewkesbury Group. We review the year just gone and look forward to the year
ahead, with sales of books, raffle tickets and a jolly good buffet. The Speaker, Karen van Hoff, has a high reputation for interesting presentations and we expect a
memorable meeting. All members welcome for a mere £7. There are croquet and
skittles events lined up for you, and you will need to come along to the meetings to
find out all about them. See you there!
Viv Ebbage 773549
TEWKESBURY AND BREDON HILL PROBUS CLUB - the club for retired men, meeting on Tuesdays, 10am -12 noon in Bredon Village Hall.
Every so often, a Probus meeting is especially good. Recently, one such was when Arthur Ball came to tell of his remarkable trip to India with the Cheltenham Bird Society, which he was at first reluctant to join as he didn’t think he would enjoy the food. He majored on birds, of which he saw many, a
graphic description of a close and wonderful encounter with a tiger (avoiding boasting to the rest of the party who had tried but not managed to see one) and their visit to the Taj Mahal which evidently exceeded their already high expectations. All three of these highlights were accompanied by a witty talk and numerous outstandingly brilliant photos.
At the time of going to press. Probus are preparing for the AGM at the end of April, when a new chairman is elected. The club has a new one each year, a excellent practice which brings fascinating variety.
The May Probus programme May 1 Marie Curie by TBA May 8 No meeting as Probus enjoy their traditional post-Bank Holiday lie-in! May 15 My work as a village Nurse and Midwife by Margaret Cooper May 22 Organisation of Time by Peter Petrie May 29 Bank Holiday lie-in
If female readers have a retired man in their home, please send him off to the Village Hall on Tuesday mornings; they should return stimulated and happy. Enquiries: do ring Bill Bush, secretary, 01684 298419 Christopher Frith 773164
THE KNIT AND NATTERERS OF BREDON A group of us meet once a fortnight to knit blankets, hats, scarves, twiddle muffs, premature baby bonnets, knitted toys, purses, handbags. These items are sent
all over the world to Refugee camps in Syria and Jordan, Orphanages in Romania and Africa. Our Twiddle muffs go to hospices and care homes for dementia sufferers. Blankets and toys are given to Women’s Refuge, Salvation Army, Food Bank and The Shoe Boxes at Christmas. Included in our project are five out workers who knit for us. You can imagine how much double knitting wool we get through and would be grateful for donations. . Elaine Lane 772311.
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GOD'S NOT DEAD! Denis Clay continues our series about God still being alive and active in many parts of the world today.
Central African Republic: Hungry for the Bible!
“People long for the Bible in the most volatile and dangerous places.
“In a country broken by civil war, where violence and kidnappings are widespread, and where, beyond the capital the country is lawless, people are turning to the Bible for answers. Families use scarce resources to travel to get a Bible. The place is in crisis yet, amid the chaos, people want Bibles.
“A group of women come together to read and learn from God's word, using Bibles and study notes provided by the Bible Society. The brave women arrive by bike or on foot, regardless of the insecurity and risk, and their passion to understand the Bible is deeply moving.
“One woman, Nado Justine, said “Psalm 128 has finally opened my eyes to the promise of blessing through fearing the Lord. It now makes sense! My husband says I should continue attending the group”.
“These women live in such a hostile place – but, for them, reading the Bible is everything. Hope is alive in the toughest parts of Africa, and people long to know Jesus through the Word of God.
“Priorities for Bible Society workers in this war-torn nation are to train more women to lead Bible study groups and to provide Bibles to all who attend. They also want to buy a motor bike so that they can deliver Bibles around the country quickly and safely”.
This is an article by the Bible Society in the March, 2018 edition of “Evangelism Now”
PARISH WALKS 2018
May 14th – Andrew. Beckford, Bluebell Wood and Grafton. Park at Beckford Village Hall. We will gently climb halfway up Bredon Hill to visit the Bluebell Wood and then on to Grafton. Then it's all downhill and flat as we return to Beckford. 4 miles. Hilliness: Gentle/Moderate, Stiles: 2
May 21st – Sharon, Sue & Rita - Dumbleton circular.- Meet at the Sports /social club. (on entering Dumbleton from Beckford , turning on your left. THERE IS A SIGN. Up the lane, Club car parking on your left). Walk is 3½ mls. Steep climb to the top which can get muddy, but good views of Bredon Hill and Evesham.
May 28th – Roger Fowler – Meet at Hanley Swan starting by the village pond. Parking on the slip road by the Swan Inn (Grid Ref. 812428). Parking is limited so car sharing is advised. There are eleven stiles one of which is rather awkward, and it's a bit muddy in places.
June 4th – Evesham Ladies , Moggie & Pat. Meet at the public car park at Jubilee bridge on the river Avon between Fladbury and Charlton. The walk will be flat including riverside, fields and Fladbury mill. Approx 4-5 miles long. Some stiles. Refreshment available after the walk at The Chequers, or Gardeners Arms. June 11th – Sue & Richard – Winchcombe. Meet in the car park behind Winchcombe Library for a walk taking in some local points of interest including Sudeley Castle. Broadly level, just a few stiles. June 18th – Ray and Ieuan – Nottingham Hill. Parking at Cleeve Hill Golf Club car park GL52 3PW.Golf Club will be closed when we return but we can use the car park. Woodland and open country with good views. Some hills involved. Medium to high level difficulty walk involving track, rough footpath and some road and a few stiles and cattle grids. About 4 miles. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Copies of all walks up to August 20 available from Mike Barrett [01246 772194] or Christopher Frith [01684 773164]
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SAM’S MUSINGS
Sam Wilkinson continues his reflections and memories, based on his wide experience, wandering far and wide, as musings tend to do. He says that he is finding writing them a ‘therapeutic activity’. So, he and his readers all stand to gain plenty from them!
A DOG’S LIFE
During the war my mother had a Wire Haired Terrier that was almost her shadow and she was very upset when it died of old age. This led my father to try to find a replacement and a farmer friend gave him a puppy from the farm dogs litter. He was a good looking cross between a terrier and an English sheep dog but completely untrained; chewing something was his sole interest in life. After a couple of destructive weeks my father was in despair and asked me if I would like the dog because he had to go. Just discharged from the navy and married during the war we were trying to get a home together so I accepted the dog because there was little in our barely furnished home that he could damage while we trained him and we christened him Scrap because of his destructive habits. One of our early acquisitions was a stair carpet, it took Scrap only one morning to produce frayed edges on the treads. However he responded very well to training and became a wonderful house dog and later on a very trustworthy guardian for our children when they were left in a pram in the garden. Later on, apart from guarding, the roughest play was cheerfully accepted for example being pushed round the garden by his hind legs as a sort of wheelbarrow.. Keeping him in was rather a problem, at the least opportunity he would be off on his round of the village to visit his friend the butcher who always had a bone waiting. This desire led to a mystery for
us. Although he enjoyed the car we usually left him shut in the house if we were going shopping. One day on our return he was sitting outside the front door waiting for us. This happened on several occasions in spite of our making sure that the house was secured. Then one day sitting in the front room I heard a scrabbling noise and saw Scrap in effect running down the front of the house and, on checking, I found the small skylight at the top of the bedroom window open. He was not a small dog but he managed to get up to and through the small opening, landing in bushes in the front garden. He loved boating holidays, going to sit on the fore deck the moment the engine was started where he was ready to jump ashore to answer calls of
nature the moment we neared land. This was his undoing on one occasion when we ran through a patch of algae covered water and he jumped over the side thinking that it was land. He disappeared for a moment then emerged blackened with Thames mud. A swim removed the mud but not the smell that stayed with us for the rest of the holiday. Scrap enjoyed the car and when the front seat was free he would stand on it with his front paws on the facia, taking a keen interest in everything moving around him. One very hot day with Scrap in his usual position I had to brake suddenly and his cold wet nose hit the hot toughened windscreen which disintegrated with a bang and a shower of small glass cubes. No alternative but to drive home slowly where it dawned on me that my licence disc had gone with the glass. I drove back to the spot where the bang had occurred and there to my joy found the disc hanging in the hedge. Scrap enjoyed fourteen years of very healthy life and then a grown man in tears had to agree with the vet that the only solution to an aggressive tumour would be a peaceful end.
ST. RICHARD’S HOSPICE SUPPORTERS
We will be serving teas and cakes in the lovely “Tea-pee” temporarily erected in the gardens of the
Old Forge in Bredon’s Norton on Sunday 13th May from 3 till 5.30. For a tent with a difference in a
place made different, do pop along and make your contribution to the ever-needy funds of our local
Hospice. And enjoy an afternoon natter.
Viv Ebbage 773549
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BREDON BABY AND TODDLER GROUP –
Wednesdays (term time) Bredon Village Hall. 10:00-11:45 We are very grateful to Spring and Catherine for putting their names down to help run the group but we could still do with a few more people to help. We have created a rota which we’ll leave on the registration desk, maybe you could put your name down to help set up, tidy away or bring a cake. We are pleased to announce that Pam Frith will be coming to our session on 9 May with a selection of her watercolour paintings in the form of greetings cards. Please do come and support this local artist.
Don’t forget that we hire out the toys and equipment for use at the village hall or elsewhere. Ideal for children’s parties and cheaper than the commercial hire companies! Please get in touch via facebook, email or phone. Our Facebook page is Bredon Baby & Toddler Group or email us at [email protected]. Ruth can be contacted on 07887 994077.
Ruth Odell
No session Wednesday 30 May for half term. Term finishes for us on Wednesday 18 July.
BREDON PLAYGROUP After enjoying investigating plants and trees growing outdoors, the children asked if they could do some planting of their own. Our younger children planted bulbs and our pre school children planted runner beans. They carefully took them home, knowing what they needed to do to help them grow. Well, the children have been brilliant, not only providing water and sunshine - but also hugging them and talking to them! Their photos, drawings
and stories about how their plants have grown have been wonderful to hear and see. We are all so thrilled to see the children enjoying themselves so much, whilst learning at the same time. Preparing for Easter saw the children having lots of opportunities to be creative. Some of the children made beautiful real flower arrangements to take home to their family. Our own Easter Egg Hunt was great fun - did anyone spot our very own
Fluffy Easter Bunny hiding eggs in the Church Gardens - then helping the children to find them? There was even a special "Golden Egg" for someone to find. Bredon Playgroup is a Playgroup for the community and is a non-profit making charity. We provide wonderful learning experiences, all through play, and are very welcoming to new families. We also work very closely with the school and take every opportunity to visit and play there, giving our children the best possible transition to the next stage in their lives - "big school".
If you would like your child to have the opportunity to develop in a stimulat-ing environment where they can have fun learning through play, please get in touch. We have spaces available from September 2018. Have a look at our website www.bredonplaygroup.co.uk. Playgroup number is 01684 773536 (during session time) or please e.mail me and I will call you at a time suitable to you. [email protected]
Tracey Ford
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RNLI Fun Day Sunday,
Croft Farm Waterpark Bredon’s Hardwick
Sunday 27th May 2018 10am to 4pm
Come and join in the fun. Something for everyone, 3 to 103 yrs!!
Various stalls, games and entertainments including the famous “Barnacle Buoys” Shanty group, the brilliant RNLI Puppet Show, The RNLI Education team, Respect the water, Model boats, Churchdown Male Voice choir,
Hoola Hoop challenge.( Will you be this year’s champion?) Fire and rescue and Lots of other surprises on the day!
Join “Stormy Stan “for the great “Wellie Walk”. Sign in from10.30 am Family pedalo and other races on the lake, (for details please email Tom Lawrence at
A really great day out for the whole family! Thank you Croft Farm for a specially reduced parking fee of £10.00 per car for the day, with all
proceeds to the RNLI
Please note: All children to be accompanied by a responsible adult
Sue Milliams
Quilting and Textile Arts
Our members continue to make a never-ending number of beautiful quilts, bags, toys and other sewn items. We have a ‘show and tell’ time at each monthly meeting and some prolific people manage to show us several small items each month without fail!
By the time you read this we will be looking forward to our visits to the annual large Quilting Show at Malvern, where we will see some outstanding quilts and many, many tempting items for sale, and, for some of us, a day’s workshop at the Village Hall with Gail Lawther (a renowned tutor who has visited us before with great success) both of which will take place in May. The wall hanging shown below, made by Heide Upshon, is from one of Gail’s patterns and, I am sure you will agree, is delightful. If you would like to see it in colour, please look at the Parish Magazine online.
For more information about our group please contact me, Pat Cook, on 01684 773230.
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BREDON CRICKET CLUB
Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2018 This
exhilarating challenge is a 10 km trail run starting and
finishing at our picturesque Bredon Cricket Club on
Sunday, 27th May. The marshalled route follows
pretty country lanes, tracks and paths to the 299 m.
summit of Bredon Hill. Entry costs £15 per runner, and
includes a pre-race warm-up led by a qualified Zumba
instructor. After the run, participants and their families
can enjoy musical entertainment and a BBQ at the
Cricket Club, where our welcoming bar will be open.
The run starts at 10 o’clock, and is open to just 200
people; it is expected to be oversubscribed. We have already received many applications for the run,
and places will be allocated on a first-come-first served basis. Runners must be aged over 16. For
more details, see our web page: Bredon Cricket Club Tower Run 2018 FAQ You can register and
pay securely via EntryCentral, the secure sports event specialist. If you would like to help with the
administration on the day, please contact Jennie Warren on 07817 – 599252, who is Bredon Cricket
Club’s chief organiser for this important event. It is hoped that we will enjoy the wonderful weather in
which last year’s event took place and it will be another memorable family day at Bredon Cricket Club.
Senior Cricket Following indoor practices at Evesham Cricket Centre, cricket has started in earnest at
Bredon Cricket Club. Due to the very inclement weather, early matches had to be cancelled. However,
the league has started, and we are very hopeful of making a very strong showing. We have appointed
Tom Walsingham, a student at Worcester University, as Bredon’s coach. If you are interested in playing
cricket, we are always on the lookout for new players and you can be assured of a very warm welcome.
Junior Cricket One of the great sights of the summer in Bredon is the very large number of young people practising and enjoying cricket at our club. Junior coaching will continue to take place this summer on Friday evenings. As well as our trained coaches, there is a need for many parent helpers and friends to assist, because of the large numbers of participants aged five to ten years. If you feel that you could help, on a regular or occasional basis, please contact Mark Nottley on 07843-209896, or [email protected], or Sean Styles on 07779-268604, or [email protected], to discuss the opportunities. Our friendly pavilion bar will open on Fridays for refreshments. Bredon Cricket Club is excited to announce that it is to offer for the second year the ECB “All Stars Cricket Programme” for five-to-eight-year-olds. The eight-week course starts on Friday 18th May and is being introduced at selected cricket clubs throughout the country, and aims to offer children their first experience of the sport. In order to register for All Stars Cricket, please follow the link on the Bredon Cricket Club website. Bredon Cricket Club is unable to accept payment for All Stars Cricket; please register at www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars. Bredon Cricket Club on-line Bredon Cricket Club is online at www.bredoncricketclub.com Follow us on www.facebook.com/bredoncricketclub and @BredonCricket. The site is updated regularly; please look at the most recent news.
Derek Ebbage
Bredon Cricket Ground below Bredon Hill
The Annual General Meeting for the Friends of St. Giles will be held on Thursday 17th May at 7.30pm in the church rooms. This year our speaker is Arthur Ball who will fascinate us with a presentation about “THE BIRDS & WILDLIFE OF CLEEVE HILL COMMON”. Arthur has been a speaking guest at Bredon WI and Probus on several occasions and never fails to enthral everyone. Even if you are not yet a “Friend” of St Giles, please come along and listen to what promises to be an engaging talk about an area of countryside near to us.
Any enquiries to: Joan Needham (Chair) 01684 772689 or email at [email protected]
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BOWLING IN MAY
By the time you read this, the bowling season will have commenced and hopefully the opening club friendly match was played in good weather and all were able to enjoy the social gathering afterwards.
Coaching began on Monday 30th April and Tuesday 1st May. As we say each month, all are welcome. The OPEN DAY is on Monday 27th May - for all ages as long as you are able to hold a bowl. The equipment is provided. Just wear flat soled shoes please. Come and enjoy!
Sadly we have to report the passing of Dave Turner, a stalwart of the Club since 1979. He was caption of the B team and the Seniors mixed team. He coached the new players regularly and from 2007 until 2015 was Club President. He was also a Trustee of the club. Dave, as a club member typified what the club is all abut. He will be sadly missed by all his friends at Bredon Bowling Club.
For more information, please ring Pete Dempsey, our secretary. on 01684 773849 or look on line at: www.Bredonbowlingclub.co.uk
Jill Marshment
TRY DINGHY SAILING on Sunday 13th May 2018
Severn Sailing Club will be holding an Open Day on Sunday 13th May between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm. You will find us on the River Avon opposite the turning to Bredon’s Norton, (on the B4080).
Experienced club members will be on hand to show guests around the site and take them for a trial sail providing the weather is suitable. Visitors wanting to sail will need to bring a change of clothes and suitable footwear, but buoyancy aids will be provided. There will be demonstration races with commentary at 12.00 pm and 14.30 pm and refreshments will be on sale throughout the day.
For details contact: Roger Lemmon (Hon. Sec.) on 01684 573437
FROM THE INQUIZZITOR
1 April, Come she Will, by Simon and Garfunkel, was part of the soundtrack of which film?
2 In what year was the Royal Air Force created?
3 How many English counties share a border with Wales?
4 Does the University Boat Race proceed upstream or downstream?
5 Gustav Eiffel was involved in the construction of what famous American monument/building?
6 Who won the 2017 Great British Bake-off?
7 Bronze is an alloy of which two metals?
8 In what year was the Duke of Edinburgh born?
9 Which football club won the 2017 EFL Checkatrade Trophy?
10 Blorenge is a) a throat sweet, b) a fruit, c) a hill in Wales, d) a river in Serbia, or e) the colour of Michael Portillo's trousers?
Answers can be checked on page 17
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CHELTENHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
An English Celebration 3 Pittville Pump Room. Cheltenham
Saturday 19th May at 7.30 pm
HOLST – The Perfect Fool Ballet Music BRITTEN – Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
ELGAR – Violin Concert( Michael Foyle – violin) Conducted by David Curtis
In their final concert of their English Celebration series the CSO are joined once again by Michael Foyle (violin) who previously performed the Korngold concerto to great acclaim in the 2017 series. Here he performs the ravishing Elgar violin concerto – made famous in the historic recording of the young Menuhin with the composer. If you heard the masterly performance of Elgar’s 1st Symphony from the CSO in the Town Hall last month you will not want to miss this.
Gustav Holst’s ballet music from his comic opera The Perfect Fool brings three lively dance episodes. The one act opera was not a success when it appeared in 1923 but these extracts have deservedly found their way into the repertoire. Echoes redolent of the Planets can be clearly heard.
Finally the Four Sea Interludes from Britten’s opera Peter Grimes, a work deeply redolent of the composer’s beloved Suffolk coast. The appearance of this piece just after the war, signalled a major change in British music; this and later operas by Britten have found their way into opera houses all over the world. The painting of the East Anglian sea in all its moods parallels the drama of the troubled fisherman, Peter Grimes.
Tickets: £17 reserved, £14 unreserved (students 50%, 15 and under free)
from Town Hall Box Office (0844 576 2210), or at the door. CSO Patrons 50% discount on second full price ticket
Inquizzition Answers: [The questions are on page 16]
1/ The Graduate; 2/ 1918; 3/ Four – Gloucs, Hereford, Shropshire, and Cheshire; 4/ upstream, 5/ The Statue of Liberty, 6/ Sophie Faldo, 7/ Copper and tin; 8/ 1921; 9/ Coventry City; 10/ c.
THE COVER PHOTOS, entitled Two Characterful Farmhouses in Kinsham, namely True Blue Farm and Wells Farm, were taken by Anne Choi, who moved to the village with her husband Mike during the last year. She is from Hong Kong, and Mike from England. The photos are a welcome response to the editor’s request for photos of the villages mentioned on the front cover. Any recognisably from Westmancote or Bredon’s Hardwick would be much welcomed.
OUR NEXT PARISH MAGAZINE will be the June edition. The deadline will be Sat 12 May at 5pm. Material should go to the editor, Christopher Frith, at [email protected] or Cover Point, Back Lane, Bredon. Please note : the July/Aug issue will be a double summer holiday edition.
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